Comments on: First Trip To Europe – Do It On A Cruisehttp://www.cruisemates.com/blog/201207313289/trip-europe-cruise/
Blogging the cruising worldSat, 09 May 2015 14:58:28 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2By: Heatherhttp://www.cruisemates.com/blog/201207313289/trip-europe-cruise/comment-page-1/#comment-6753
HeatherMon, 06 Aug 2012 22:56:53 +0000http://www.cruisemates.com/blog/?p=3289#comment-6753We're thinking of doing a cruise in Europe for many of the reasons you listed. There are plenty of port towns we haven't seen yet.
Re: bus tours of Europe - when we were younger and stationed in Europe (my husband is in the Army) we took many of these bus tours. They were wonderful if you had limited time and money for travel, and we were limited in both. lol. You could sleep on the bus while the driver took you to your destination and wake up and hit the ground running. Often they would include a hotel night or two. The bus tour companies had deals worked out with many of the restaurants and museums etc. so we really saved money that way. To each his own. I wouldn't do it now though. Those buses are fairly uncomfortable and we're too old for that.We’re thinking of doing a cruise in Europe for many of the reasons you listed. There are plenty of port towns we haven’t seen yet.
Re: bus tours of Europe – when we were younger and stationed in Europe (my husband is in the Army) we took many of these bus tours. They were wonderful if you had limited time and money for travel, and we were limited in both. lol. You could sleep on the bus while the driver took you to your destination and wake up and hit the ground running. Often they would include a hotel night or two. The bus tour companies had deals worked out with many of the restaurants and museums etc. so we really saved money that way. To each his own. I wouldn’t do it now though. Those buses are fairly uncomfortable and we’re too old for that.
]]>By: Kenneth Edenhttp://www.cruisemates.com/blog/201207313289/trip-europe-cruise/comment-page-1/#comment-6567
Kenneth EdenWed, 01 Aug 2012 12:36:26 +0000http://www.cruisemates.com/blog/?p=3289#comment-6567There is one very good reason to take the cruise in Europe vis a vis the bus trip, timing.
Lets say you have a full day in Barcelona, during a bus trip, or, as the more expensive ones like, "Escorted Coach Vacation", or some other haughty title. You get up, do your bath routine, hopefully, eat the breakfast provided - can be as varied as bread and cheese, a more extensive continental, or full, depending on the "bus" tour booked, wait for evereyone to load onto the bus, ride in the bus to Barcelona, say, from Madrid, get to Barcelona, check in at the hotel, sightsee the city, return to hotel, have dinner, go to your room, pass out exhausted, and do the same thing the next day on you way to another city. Tiring? Exhausting? Cramped and smelly in the bus? (oh, the aroma of the toilet in any bus is ...) And the dining! Dining not indicative of the region you are visiting? Skimpy tourista menu?
You know what the cruise offers, and the "deal" regardlesss of ship or cruise line can not be beat.
On the cruise you get assorted meals as you travel, night life and shows, casino, and longer land time to explore, either on your own, by shore excursion, either purchased on your ship, or at the dock.
Of course an independent land tour lets you do, go, and come as you please, and the experience can be awesome in the countries chosen.
However, the cruise delivers so much often for less and can sail out of bad weather or into it, and you have the comfort of the ship as your hotel and dining spot.There is one very good reason to take the cruise in Europe vis a vis the bus trip, timing.

Lets say you have a full day in Barcelona, during a bus trip, or, as the more expensive ones like, “Escorted Coach Vacation”, or some other haughty title. You get up, do your bath routine, hopefully, eat the breakfast provided – can be as varied as bread and cheese, a more extensive continental, or full, depending on the “bus” tour booked, wait for evereyone to load onto the bus, ride in the bus to Barcelona, say, from Madrid, get to Barcelona, check in at the hotel, sightsee the city, return to hotel, have dinner, go to your room, pass out exhausted, and do the same thing the next day on you way to another city. Tiring? Exhausting? Cramped and smelly in the bus? (oh, the aroma of the toilet in any bus is …) And the dining! Dining not indicative of the region you are visiting? Skimpy tourista menu?

You know what the cruise offers, and the “deal” regardlesss of ship or cruise line can not be beat.

On the cruise you get assorted meals as you travel, night life and shows, casino, and longer land time to explore, either on your own, by shore excursion, either purchased on your ship, or at the dock.

Of course an independent land tour lets you do, go, and come as you please, and the experience can be awesome in the countries chosen.

However, the cruise delivers so much often for less and can sail out of bad weather or into it, and you have the comfort of the ship as your hotel and dining spot.